Sigh I'm in a writing mood. Personally I just think hip hop/rap has run its course as a commercial entity much like disco in the 70's and heavy metal in the 80's. They all started off as cool authentic forms of music, and then became soulless corporate pap, though I love disco to its end.
Hip Hop/Rap
Culturally:
The argument here of course is that the genre is riddled with shallow douche bags who rap about bitches, hoes, and bling. Yes this has always been a feature of gangster rap, but at least back then it had a sense of authenticity to it, it was fresh new & seen as a danger to middle class white America, though ironically it most likely negatively affected African American communities on a whole. (AKA the Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton argument)
The problem with a music that becomes mass produced is that it becomes marketable to the lowest common denominator. There is nothing worse than seeing a kid act like a gangster in the Ford Mustang his daddy bought him.
Musically:
I think this is the primary reason why rap/hip hop is dying myself, and wonder if it will be able to survive as a cultural entity in the neighborhoods it originated in.
The death blow of course is the skyrocketing costs of sampling.
Rap music as an art form was always based around sampling a cool beat and looping it, but as young and upcoming rap artists can no longer afford to do this, more and more rappers are forced to create digitized techno beats, and because most do not know how to play the synth, it sounds horrible!!!
In short sampling a beat on average now goes for $10 grand, and if you don't pay up you'll most likely get sued if your a commercial success. That's just one sample. Think about how many samples are on a classic hip hop album like Dr. Dre's The Chronic, no young rapper can afford to do this!
Is Sampling Dying? | SPIN | Music News
Well that's rap now pop.
Mainstream Pop
Culturally:
Although the face of pop music has defiantly changed for the better over the years, in terms of R & B its suffering from the same shallow douche bagginess that has been plaguing commercial hip hop. Know one wants to see a spoiled rich white kid like Miley Cyrus or Justin Beiber swearing on tv and acting like ****ing idiots.
Years ago people accepted the behavior of the likes 2 pac or Axl Rose because they had impoverished upbringings. They were outsiders coming into the mainstream. Now the pop world is filled with well established people acting like douches. If your in an underground music band, its actually cool to be well behaved because its not the mainstream. It was cool when Joe Strummer smashed his guitar, lame when Garth Brooks did it.
Musically:
The biggest issue with pop music today is sampling. Unlike upcoming rappers who can no longer afford to sample, non talent hacks with corporate backing can... and its killing music!
Sampling is a limited art form, because you are relying on the creativity of someone else to give you a pop hit instead of your own talent. The reason why Lady Gaga is so popular, (yes she uses samples to) is because she can actually write and play her own music.
Funny I use to thing sampling was awesome back in the days of Dr Dre & Massive Attack, but now its gotta die!